Have you ever been so depressed that you thought about dying? The last thing you needed was guilt added through the counsel of your friends. Sadly this was Job’s experience. Take a look.
Job 3: Job Laments His Birth
1 After this Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.
2 And Job said:
3 "Let the day perish on which I was born, and the night that said, 'A man is conceived.'
4 Let that day be darkness! May God above not seek it, nor light shine upon it.
5 Let gloom and deep darkness claim it. Let clouds dwell upon it; let the blackness of the day terrify it.
6 That night---let thick darkness seize it! Let it not rejoice among the days of the year; let it not come into the number of the months.
7 Behold, let that night be barren; let no joyful cry enter it.
8 Let those curse it who curse the day, who are ready to rouse up Leviathan.
9 Let the stars of its dawn be dark; let it hope for light, but have none, nor see the eyelids of the morning,
10 because it did not shut the doors of my mother's womb, nor hide trouble from my eyes.
11 "Why did I not die at birth, come out from the womb and expire?
12 Why did the knees receive me? Or why the breasts, that I should nurse?
13 For then I would have lain down and been quiet; I would have slept; then I would have been at rest,
14 with kings and counsellors of the earth who rebuilt ruins for themselves,
15 or with princes who had gold, who filled their houses with silver.
16 Or why was I not as a hidden stillborn child, as infants who never see the light?
17 There the wicked cease from troubling, and there the weary are at rest.
18 There the prisoners are at ease together; they hear not the voice of the taskmaster.
19 The small and the great are there, and the slave is free from his master.
20 "Why is light given to him who is in misery, and life to the bitter in soul,
21 who long for death, but it comes not, and dig for it more than for hidden treasures,
22 who rejoice exceedingly and are glad when they find the grave?
23 Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden, whom God has hedged in?
24 For my sighing comes instead of my bread, and my groanings are poured out like water.
25 For the thing that I fear comes upon me, and what I dread befalls me.
26 I am not at ease, nor am I quiet; I have no rest, but trouble comes."
Job 4: Eliphaz Speaks: The Innocent Prosper
1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:
2 "If one ventures a word with you, will you be impatient? Yet who can keep from speaking?
3 Behold, you have instructed many, and you have strengthened the weak hands.
4 Your words have upheld him who was stumbling, and you have made firm the feeble knees.
5 But now it has come to you, and you are impatient; it touches you, and you are dismayed.
6 Is not your fear of God your confidence, and the integrity of your ways your hope?
7 "Remember: who that was innocent ever perished? Or where were the upright cut off?
8 As I have seen, those who plough iniquity and sow trouble reap the same.
9 By the breath of God they perish, and by the blast of his anger they are consumed.
10 The roar of the lion, the voice of the fierce lion, the teeth of the young lions are broken.
11 The strong lion perishes for lack of prey, and the cubs of the lioness are scattered.
12 "Now a word was brought to me stealthily; my ear received the whisper of it.
13 Amid thoughts from visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on men,
14 dread came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones shake.
15 A spirit glided past my face; the hair of my flesh stood up.
16 It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance. A form was before my eyes; there was silence, then I heard a voice:
17 'Can mortal man be in the right before God? Can a man be pure before his Maker?
18 Even in his servants he puts no trust, and his angels he charges with error;
19 how much more those who dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, who are crushed like the moth.
20 Between morning and evening they are beaten to pieces; they perish forever without anyone regarding it.
21 Is not their tent-cord plucked up within them, do they not die, and that without wisdom?'
Things to think about…
After seven days of silence Job finally speaks and lets out the anguish in his heart Job 3:1. When there has been unimaginable grief, the heart must be free to express whatever is in there in a verbal sense. The only case where this was not to happen was when Ezekiel was called not to grieve over the loss of his wife. The only difference being that the Lord gave Ezekiel a heads ups and said his wife would die. Job had no such knowledge of the grief which would come upon him. We must allow people to express their grief and just listen.
Job in 3:3-26 in a nutshell says it is better not to have known life at all, than to have known it and lost all. This is not true of course, but this is a man who is in the depths of grief, loss, and depression. We often hear of people who are so burdened by depression that they take their own lives. Horrible. As we go through Job we eventually come to the answer – our Redeemer lives, Job 19. Let’s pray that all those who are in the depths of despair can be given enough light to see the One who was described as a man of sorrows, well acquainted with grief.
Sometimes I am struck by fear, I agree with Job, 3:25, 26. I am worried that “The thing I feared has come upon me”. For some this is more than a fear, but a reality. Think of those poor souls years ago in Northern Iraq and Africa, who lost their lives because they do not follow Islam. Perfect love casts out fear. The only way we can know this perfect love is to continually have it shown to us – through the Word of God with the blessing of His Spirit.
And now it comes. The first cutting counsel from Eliphaz, Job 4. Note that everything he says (and his friends after him) is absolutely true. The issue is that the counsel is misapplied because it is not mixed with the spirit of understanding and compassion. We can be like this and slay with the sword of truth. It’s all truth, just misapplied. Jesus withheld truth at times for this very reason – we are not able to bear it. Pray for discernment to know when to reveal truth and how to rightly apply it. Remember “Spirit and truth’. We don’t have one without the other.
Eliphaz claims to have heard from ‘a spirit’, Job 4:15. Yes he did, just not the Holy Spirit. We know he was later rebuked for his counsel. Just because it is truth, does not mean you are hearing from God. As such we should always check our hearts, test the spirits, get counsel, then act.
Vision Point for Cell groups
CBC's Vision "To be a growing biblical church community, significantly influencing our city and beyond, through intentional outreach, fulfilling our mission".
Cell group questions from Sunday morning’s sermon “Done decently and in order” Ex 37.
1. We see much rebellion to God’s order in the world. The BLM movement and riots in America. We have also experienced the same in Australia. These 2 countries were established with the gospel. The ancient Israelites were no different in setting up the gold calf even though they were the Lord’s people and had experience such a mighty deliverance from God’s hand from Egypt. Discuss.
2. The ancient Israelis were restricted morally through the ordered structure and worship with the tabernacle and it’s furnishings. Jay said on Sunday that you cannot legislate morality. Do you agree.
3. The Ark of the Covenant, the Table of Showbread, the Lampstand and the Altar of Incense all have spiritual significance and are in some way reflected in the ministry of Christ, or the church or Christians. Discuss how this is so and what the original furnishings were used for.
4. The cry of the world is for the freedom to do what it wants to do. But perfect freedom is found in Christ, John 8:32. How is this so and how is it maintained through the spiritual disciplines. Discuss what some of these are.
5. Christians can only be effective with the Great Commission if they have a good understanding of Christ and His word. The for each other that you grow in your knowing of the scriptures and are given the grace and boldness to share your faith. Pray for the things listed in the prayer points.
Prayer Points
1. Zac’s dad, Mark Torrington still in a Coma. Pray as he undergoes a lumber puncture operation and his subsequent recovery. Pray for recovery and more time with family.
2. Gary and Christine said goodbye to their sister/sister in law Diane to a long battle with cancer. Pray for Diane’s husband, Evan that his heart softens to Christ.
3. Pray for those who are struggling with health issues in the church.
4. People who have visited the church that they settle in.
4. Others who are struggling in their commitment to Christ and relationship strain/choices.
5. Sunday’s messages. The message this week – “Who needs enemies” Job 2-11, Jay.
7. Church finances to meet our expenses and to put a roof over our café.
8. Our City and Country – Pray for revival over our city and the leadership of our country even through these challenging times.
Praise Points.
1. More visitors on Sunday.
2. Our worship team on Sunday – thanks Dan, Suzanne, Zac and Jean.
3. Molly and Katelyn did a great job with visuals and streaming.
4. Young Life will be using our facilities on Friday afternoons. Zach Lipp heading this up.
5. Unity, peace and grace at CBC.
6. Praise God for all those who serve at CBC. Thanks again to Helen, Angelo, Catherine, Yuki, Doug, Maddison and many others who go about making CBC an amazing place to worship.
Announcements
1. Carols Sun 20thDec 6pm. Start with a meal. Carols to start after the meal around 7pm.
2. AGM – 16th November after the morning service. Open for all.
3. Church bank details bsb:- 704 913 and Acc number:- 4000 4388 1
4. Kids Church activity sheets provided – either in the house or church.
